DESCRIPTION

Fully Hydrogenated Oils and Fats occur as solids at room temperature. They are produced through the hydrogenation of individual food grade oils and fats, or through the hydrogenation of mixtures of food grade oils and fats to achieve an iodine value of NMT 4, representing the saturation of double bonds from the source oils and/or fats. Oils and fats used to manufacture Fully Hydrogenated Oils and Fats are expressed or extracted from a range of seeds, nuts, fruits, and animal fatty tissues, including canola (low erucic acid rapeseed), coconut, corn, cottonseed, lard, palm, palm kernel, peanut, safflower, soybean, sunflower, and tallow. The fatty acid chain length distribution for these oils and fats varies widely, however, they are typically classified as either lauric (coconut and palm kernel, both of which are characterized as having NLT 35% of fatty acids with a carbon chain length of 12) or non-lauric (all other oils and fats characterized by having NMT 2% of fatty acids with a carbon chain length of 12). The resultant mixture of saturated triglycerides reflects the fatty acid chain length distribution of the precursor oils/fats with the unsaturated native fatty acids largely converted to saturated fatty acids (these are generally fatty acids with an 18-carbon chain length). Fully Hydrogenated Oils and Fats are insoluble in water.